The Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan's request to The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United States embassy in Malaysia to reveal investigations into companies linked with forced labour is laughable and a poor attempt at covering his inability to make headway in eradicating forced labour in the country.
Saravanan asked them to notify the Human Resources Ministry of any investigation of forced labour so that solutions can be found before Malaysian products are blocked from entering the US.
Saravanan must not know how investigations work.
If investigations are revealed before action is taken, what good are those investigations? Perhaps he thinks the international community can be bought and swayed?
The fact of the matter is clear. Saravanan has failed to inspire the industry to arrest forced labour or modern slavery. Ratifying the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention 1930 (No 29) is not good enough if there is lack of support at national level laws. Enforcement must be enhanced and there are no shortcuts, like what the Minister has requested for.
There must be clearly defined amendments to the Employment Act, which includes the essence of the ILO Protocol, so that forced labour is clearly defined and that local employment laws are subjected to that definition.
If you
implement the ratification wrong, then there is little to no change when it
deals with forced labour.
Saravanan, instead of looking for shortcuts, should be more proactive to go all out to eradicate forced labour. He cannot just be a bystander.
When Pakatan Harapan was in government, we declared war and zero tolerance to forced labour and human trafficking, on February 2019.
We knew of the repercussions if forced labour was not stamped out. Unfortunately there was lack of follow up on this declaration, after the Sheraton Move.
Unless forced labour is arrested Malaysia will lose millions if not billions in income and eventually there will be more job cuts and less foreign direct investments (FDI).
I suggest the Minister sets up a multi-party
taskforce together with all stakeholders like employers, NGOs, Trade Unions to
get views and inputs as how best to eradicate forced labour. When more and more
companies are being found guilty of forced labour, then there is evidence
that the system the Minister has used, has failed.
The Minister must ensure the system trains
enforcement officers how to look for elements of forced labour. The rot within
the Ministry must be addressed and it must go. Don't push the buck to foreign
countries and agencies; you must put your own house in order.
M. Kula
Segaran, MP Ipoh Barat
22nd
April 2022
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